Trap

Trap, n. [OE. trappe, AS. treppe; akin to OD. trappe, OHG. trapo; probably fr. the root of E. tramp, as that which is trod upon: cf. F. trappe, which is trod upon: cf. F. trappe, which perhaps influenced the English word.] 1. A machine or contrivance that shuts suddenly, as with a spring, used for taking game or other animals; as, a trap for foxes.

She would weep if that she saw a mouse
Caught in a trap.

2. Fig.: A snare; an ambush; a stratagem; any device by which one may be caught unawares.

Let their table be made a snare and a trap.

God and your majesty
Protect mine innocence, or I fall into
The trap is laid for me!

3. A wooden instrument shaped somewhat like a shoe, used in the game of trapball. It consists of a pivoted arm on one end of which is placed the ball to be thrown into the air by striking the other end. Also, a machine for throwing into the air glass balls, clay pigeons, etc., to be shot at.

4. The game of trapball.

5. A bend, sag, or partitioned chamber, in a drain, soil pipe, sewer, etc., arranged so that the liquid contents form a seal which prevents passage of air or gas, but permits the flow of liquids.

6. A place in a water pipe, pump, etc., where air accumulates for want of an outlet.

7. A wagon, or other vehicle. [Colloq.] Thackeray.

8. A kind of movable stepladder. Knight.

Trap stairs, a staircase leading to a trapdoor. -- Trap tree (Bot.) the jack; - - so called because it furnishes a kind of birdlime. See 1st Jack.

Trap, a. Of or pertaining to trap rock; as, a trap dike.

Trap, v. i. To set traps for game; to make a business of trapping game; as, to trap for beaver.

Trap (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Trapped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Trapping.] [Akin to OE. trappe trappings, and perhaps from an Old French word of the same origin as E. drab a kind of cloth.] To dress with ornaments; to adorn; -- said especially of horses.

Steeds . . . that trapped were in steel all glittering.

To deck his hearse, and trap his tomb-black steed.

There she found her palfrey trapped
In purple blazoned with armorial gold.

Trap (?), v. t. [AS. treppan. See Trap a snare.]

1. To catch in a trap or traps; as, to trap foxes.

2. Fig.: To insnare; to take by stratagem; to entrap. "I trapped the foe." Dryden.

3. To provide with a trap; as, to trap a drain; to trap a sewer pipe. See 4th Trap, 5.

Trap, n. [Sw. trapp; akin to trappa stairs, Dan. trappe, G. treppe, D. trap; -- so called because the rocks of this class often occur in large, tabular masses, rising above one another, like steps. See Tramp.] (Geol.) An old term rather loosely used to designate various dark-colored, heavy igneous rocks, including especially the feldspathic- augitic rocks, basalt, dolerite, amygdaloid, etc., but including also some kinds of diorite. Called also trap rock.

Trap tufa, Trap tuff, a kind of fragmental rock made up of fragments and earthy materials from trap rocks.